I waited for something to happen. Pain, terror, suffering and even death, I waited for it all. After a while, I opened my eyes and looked around. I wasn't in Limbo, I was still in the hallway with Monika and Sayori. I stood up and I noticed the small dialogue box in front of me.

[ I'm going help you with all I've got! ]

Sayori smiled brightly at me. She knelt down in front of me and held my hand affectionately. The warmth of her hand brings a soothing feeling to my mind.

" I know you won't let me help you fo something dangerous, so I decided I'll just force you to accept my help." Sayori said as she rubs the back of my hands. She has a calm smile on her face as she tried to calm me down.

" Sayori... This is really dangerous, you know?" I said to her weakly.

" Psshh! I'm gonna be fine! Trust me! Look at what I can do!" Sayori lets go of my hand and pulls out the command console.

[ I can talk to you guys now and no one else would be able to know about it! ]

" Okay, what else can you do?" Monika asks curiously as she recovers from her initial shock.

" Uhhh... Umm..."

" Do you even know about programming and coding?" Monika presses Sayori for her answer.

" No. Sorry... Ehehe, but I can still help!" Sayori chuckled nervously.

" I see... Hold on a second." Monika pulls out her command console and takes a look at the character files. Her eyes lit up as soon as she opens Sayori's character file.

" Club President status, enabled temporarily? Oh! I get it!" Monika smiles and closes the command console.

" I guess when I told you to take care of the Literature Club for today, I accidentally gave you the President Status. Want me to take care of your problem?" Monika smiled at Sayori. There was a brief moment of silence before Sayori gave her answer.

" No. Not now." Sayori said sternly. She had a defiant expression on her face as she looked at Monika.

" Okay, guess I'll just have to let you help us."

" Yes! And there's no point in turning me away now! I'm already set on helping Yoku!" Sayori exclaimed loudly. Monika sighed and turned towards me.

She walked slowly towards me. She had a slight frown on her face. As she closed the distance between us, she took hold of my hands. She had a weak smile spread across her face as she gazed into my eyes with her green eyes. I could feel her short and quick breaths due to our intimacy.

" Yoku, I know I offended you by... well, nearly going back to the old me... " Monika had a regretful look in her eyes.

" And?" I raise an eyebrow at Monika.

" ... And by mutilating a fellow schoolmate. But I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me... I know what I did and said is wrong. I understand why you would want to distance yourself from me after hearing that. But I promise, I'll change! So please don't leave me!"

Monika's eyes showed fear and regret. Her confident tone was replaced by a fearful and trembling one. I let out a smile and patted Monika's hair. I finally got that sincere apology I wanted to hear from her. I guess I also went overboard when I left her.

" I can't stay mad at you, dear. But I do hope you now know what happens if you try to do things like that again." Monika smiled and nodded. She leapt into my arms and gave me a tight hug. It was so tight that I could feel her squeezing the air out of my body.

Back in Akami-sama's Limbo

" Seriously?! Just like that, you two are already back together?! Where is the drama?! The emotional tension?! What kind of lazy writing is this?!" Akami-sama throws a can if coke at the TV. The can turns into a bunch of codes before disappearing.

" This can't be!!! Where is the damn emotional reunion I wanted! This is half-assed crap right here!" Akami-sama lets out a sigh before sitting back down.

Back in School

" Monika... You're suffocating me." I wheeze out.

" Oh, sorry! Are you ok?" Monika pulled away from her bear hug and took a look at me.

" Yeah... I think so." I answered meakly.

" I'm glad..." Monika smiled and cupped my right cheek with her hand.

" Let's not fight again, that whole thing is stressful..." I said to Monika as I press my forehead against hers.

" Yeah... I was really lonely when you left me..." Monika said in a glad tone.

" Geez! You two are meanies! Stop doing mushy and lovey-dovey stuff in school! We have someone to save! Go whine later at the house..." Sayori pouted at us while tapping her foot.

" Ahaha! We just can't help it! Being separated from each other is really depressing." Monika beamed brightly.

" But Sayori's right, Yoku. Let's save our reunion for later after you go save Yuri." Monika tosses her hair back over her shoulders. She took a look at Sayori and let out a long sigh.

" Sayori, may I ask you something?"

" Yes?"

" You know about... everything, right? How this world is fake?" Monika waited for her answer with a serious expression.

" Yes, I know about everything. How you... Uhhh... Left me hanging, made Yuri edgier and everything. Yes, all that horrible stuff..." Sayori said in a nervous and trembling voice.

" I see... Are you, angry about it?" Monika asked in a regretful tone.

" I... I am... But those things are in the past." Monika was taken aback by Sayori's answer.

" I can't stay mad forever, right? The things you did were horrible, yes. But you were scared and confused. You didn't know what to do, and in the end, you regret the decisions you made. That, for me, means that you care for the Literature Club more than you think." Sayori spoke in a manner that both amazed and scared me. She was like a mother soothing her crying child.

" Besides, Yoku taught me something important. Everyone must keep moving forward, no matter how difficult our path is! Even if this world is fake, even if my memories were just made up, the time I spend with you guys is real enough for me." Sayori had small droplets of tears running down her cheek as she spoke. In fact, I too could feel that I was moved by her words. Monika is in tears already, but she tried her best not to lose her composure.

" Monika, I can't lead the Literature Club. Being President is a heavy responsibility, and now I know that you are the best person for the job. Even when you were suffering, even when you felt so alone and isolated, you did your best to lead and have fun with us. So I... I'll gladly give you back the title of Club President after I use it to help Yoku."

Sayori was serious, really serious. I have never seen Sayori this serious before. Her words are full of hope and determination.

" Sayori... I... I'll let you help us. But promise me you'll be safe, okay?" I place a hand on Sayori's shoulder. She nods and gives me a thumbs up.

" I'll be fine! Don't worry! Anyways, let's go back to the club. I bet everyone is wondering where we are." Sayori took hold of both Monika and I and pulled the two of us.

The three of us made our way to the club room behind Sayori. Where in the hell does she get all her energy? I pushed this thought towards the back of my head as I sighted the doors of the Literature Club. Sayori flung the doors wide open and pushed the two of us inside. Everyone was surprised by this, but they calmed down when they noticed that it was just the three of us. I took a look around and saw that Yuri is sitting in the back with Natsuki. They seem to be arguing about something, but before I can head over there, Monika and Sayori stopped me.

" Listen, Yoku. Sayori and I will go make a plan on how to deal with our problem. I want you to call us if something goes awry, okay?" Monika is clearly concerned about me. I shouldn't say that I got this or something.

" S-Sure... I'll give you guys a call if Yuri tries to do something to me or anyone." I said to her weakly before walking away from them.

My pace was slow as I walked towards the two. I could see that Natsuki is holding a book and a manga while she argued with Yuri. I listened in on what the two are talking about.

" I'm not forcing you to read it! I'm just saying... that... I think you'll enjoy it and whatever..." Natsuki murmured out as she handed Yuri a manga and a light novel.

" They're both horror, good ones if you ask me. If you don't enjoy the manga, you could read the light novel." Natsuki is blushing as Yuri takes a glance at the contents of the manga and the novel.

" T-Thank you, Natsuki. I'll be sure to read them later. Hmm? Ah! Y-Yoku! Where... Where you listening to our conversation?" Yuri smiles and waves at me. I could see Natsuki's surprise as I smile at them both.

" I just overheard some things. May I see that manga?" I ask Natsuki politely. She hands me the manga before folding her arms at me.

" Ahh! I know this one! Junji Ito's The Enigma of Amigara Fault. Pretty nerve-wracking. A real thought provoker." I said as I took a look at the illustrations.

" Hmph! You're stealing ny spotlight again."

" Ahaha! Sorry! I shouldn't get in the way of you trying to get closer to Yuri." I was about to laugh teasingly, but Natsuki punched me in the gut. It didn't hurt, but it was enough to make me wheeze.

" I-it's not like that! Stop saying things like this, idiot!" Natsuki huffed out as she began to hit me with the novel.

" Ow! Ow! Ow! Okay! Please stop hitting me now! Ouch!" Natsuki stopped hitting me with the book, only to give me one punch on my shoulder.

" Natsuki! Cease this violent behavior! I'm sure that Yoku was only trying to lighten up the tense mood." Yuri bursted out, her face had a mix of both concern and annoyance. After a while however, that expression of hers reverted back to the timid and shy one that she usually wears.

" Ah... I... I'm sorry for my outburst..." Yuri bowed her head and frowned.

" Oh! N-No! It's fine! Geez, damn it, Yoku! You just made things awkward! Anyways, here's the manga and book. I'll go and... uh... hang out with Sayori for a while." Natsuki placed the light novel on top of a table and walked away.

I let out a chuckle as I picked up the light novel. I was surprised to see that it is the 2nd volume of the No Game No Life series. Will Yuri really like this? Maybe, who knows? I place it back down and turn towards Yuri. She was scanning the pages of the manga intensely. It's like she's been absorbed into the book itself. I watched her eyes lit up in horror, surprise, shock and delight. Her face showed so much emotion, I could tell what is going through her head.

" Uhh... Hey Yuri? Want to sit down and read with me?"

" Oh! Ah... Sorry... I was too indulged in this manga that I forgot to sit down... Ahaha! My apologies..."

" Eh, that's fine. Natsuki would be pleased to see you enjoying the manga she gave you." I said to her with an amused tone.

" Ah... Yes, I-I'm sure she would... A-Ah, about later..." Yuri began to get flustered as she tried her best to speak up.

" I... I... Ah... A-Appreciate you inviting me to g-go shopping with you..." Her face is extremely red now.

" Ahaha, why are you getting flustered? Ahaha! Relax, Yuri. You're gonna look like a tomato if you kept blushing like that." I teased. Yuri's eyes widened and her face took on a brighter shade of red.

" Y-Yoku! I'd appreciate it if y-you s-s-stop teasing me for your amusement..." She bowed her head, trying to hide her embarrassed expression from me.

" Sure, sure. Anyways, why don't we sit down and read that piece of art in your hands? I'm sure you'll enjoy that bodily, mental and spiritual horror that is expected from Junji Ito's works." I said to her as I sat beside the wall where we usually read.

She nods and follows suit. She sat down beside me and immediately opens the manga. While we read the book, I could hear and see Amy and Yosuke in the background scribbling words on a notebook, Sayori and Natsuki sharing a pack of cookies and Monika writing something on a piece of paper. I look at Yuri, seeing that she is engrossed in reading the manga. From time to time, I'd catch a glimpse of Natsuki glancing at us. I'd smile at her, and she'd pout and avert her gaze from us. I let out. quiet sigh, of Natsuki wants to improve her relationship with Yuri, she should talk to her.

Yuri and I were yanked out of our bubble by Natsuki. It seems we were so engrossed and focused on reading the manga that we failed to notice that it's time to go home. I let out a laugh before standing up.

" Man, that was fun! Did you enjoy it?" I asked Yuri. Yuri nodded enthusiastically.

" Yes. The manga is quite enjoyable. The art style sends shivers down my spine. The grotesque and weird style of drawing the contorted corpses gives me a sense of dread... Ah... S-Sorry... I got too excited..." Yuri turned her head away from me, her face as red as a beet.

" What?! No! It's fine! It's nice to see you having fun." I gave her a warm and comforting smile. She returned the gesture with a small and discreet smile.

" Can we just go home?!" Natsuki butted in with an annoyed tone in her voice. She was clearly bored and was waiting for me to go home.

" Natsuki... Why must you bother Yoku with your incessant and annoying yelling?" I turned my head towards Yuri, her face now wore an irritated expression.

" Ugh! I was just telling Yoku to hurry up! Stop hogging him all to yourself, Yuri!" Natsuki retorted angrily.

" I'm not hogging him! It was Yoku's choice to read with me! The way I see it, you're the one who is being selfish!" Yuri said to Natsuki with an angry voice.

" Okay! Let's not get too heated here. Natsuki, Yuri, let's try to get along with each other, okay?" I try to calm the two girls down. They gave each other one last glare before Yuri finally came to her senses.

" Ah... I-I'm sorry... I just... I didn't know what came over me... I'm sorry." Yuri murmured out. Natsuki let out a 'hmph' and turned her back towards us.

" You need to learn to chill out, Yuri..." Natsuki left us and walked away. I shook my head in dismay and let out a sigh.

" Anyways, you ready to go shopping with me?" I asked her.

" Of course! I hope you're fine with having me accompany you..." Yuri replied meekly.

" Of course. Before we go however, let me just tell Monika about our little adventure." I said to her. She glanced at Monika, who is eyeing us from the front of the classroom. She gave a light nod and a smile. I walked over to Monika's spot and I tried my best to be discreet.

" Okay, Monika... Don't do anything horrible, okay?"

" Are you still mad at me about that, dear?"

" Yes. Anyway, here's the plan. You and Sayori tail us from a distance and try to get as much information on Yuri."

" Is... Is that the plan? Is that all?"

" No. I'll... I'll try my best to convince her to show and express her emotions in a more positive way. I'm planning on not dying this time..."

" I... I see... Well, I wish you luck, love."

I nod at Monika, before giving her a discreet kiss on the cheek.

" Yeah, thanks." I smiled and said goodbye to her before heading back to Yuri.

We picked up our stuff and Yuri and I headed out. Unlike my experience with the three, walking with Yuri is a quiet experience. She rarely talked, and when she did, she would usually stutter to the point where she would just sink back to her silence in order to avoid being further embarrassed. The entire 10 minute walk is just Yuri trying her best to come up with a subject to talk about with me, but she'll fail by stammering heavily and getting flustered. I'd try my best to seem open to any topic, but Yuri would get even more flustered and she'd become more silent. I found it amusing, really. How could such a socially awkward and shy girl be such a deadly killer when unhinged?

*DDLC: Our Reality*

" Monika! I'm tired~!" Sayori whined.

" Shhh!!! She might hear us." I said to her sternly.

" Can you carry me on your back?"

" Wha- No! You're too heavy!"

" Meanie... Yoku would have carried me..."

" Well, I'm not Yoku. Oh shi- look! Is she pulling out her knife?!"

" Hmm? Oh no! That's clearly a knife! Monika, what are we gonna do?!"

" Let's stay calm and watch what's gonna happen..."

Sayori and I watched from the distance as Yuri pulled her knife out. We wanted to just make a dash for it as she raised her knife. Thankfully, Yuri only meant to show Yoku the knife. We let out a relived sigh from behind the bush. We were about to stand up when we heard someone cough from behind us. We turned around to see Natsuki behind us, her arms folded while she tapped her foot on the ground.

" What are you two doing?" Natsuki asked us. She glanced up and immediately she found her answer.

" Are you two... following them?" She said as she stared at Yoku and Yuri treading along the sidewalk.

" Natsuki, before you say anythi-"

" What are you two doing?! They're turning a corner! We're gonna lose them!" Natsuki cut me off from my excuse and began to run after the two.

We followed Natsuki, who seems to be pissed right now. We peeked around the corner, doing our best not to be spotted. We saw Yoku give back Yuri's knife as they walked away. We continue to watch from afar as they neared the shopping mall. Our eyes were glued on them. We cannot let Yuri do anything horrible.

" Is... Is Yoku cheating on you?!"

" What?! No! I'm sure he is just taking her shopping, that's all..."

" We should buy food. I'm hungry."

" Later... We need to keep an eye on- Where are they?" I looked around to find the two. I just turned my attention away from them for a minute and they vanished.

*DDLC: Our Reality*

It happened so suddenly, I didn't really see anything. I just felt Yuri grab my hand before we dashed towards a cramped alleyway. We run through the labyrinth-like system of alleyways. Yuri would glance occasionally over her shoulders as we run through the small paths. I couldn't say anything because I was too busy trying to catch my breath. I didn't expect Yuri to be this fast. Finally, after a while, we made it out of the alleyways. We were panting heavily, trying our best to catch our breath and calm down.

" Yuri...*pant*... Why were... we running?!" I wheezed for air in between words.

" I... I wanted to avoid going... t-through the crowd..." Yuri said in an embarrassed tone.

" That's it?! You decided to run just because you felt shy of other people?!" I asked with loud voice.

" Y-Yes... Sorry..." She replied timidly.

" Well, at least we're here now... Want to grab a drink before we go shopping?" I asked her, pointing at the nearby cafe just outside the mall.

" S-Sure..." She smiled and composed herself.

She fixed her now messy hair, strands of her long, violet hair stuck out in the sides. I guess running at full speed for a solid two minutes messes up your hair. She took out a black hairband from one of the pockets of her blazer and she tied her hair into a long ponytail. If Yuri already looked mature as is, then she just added more of that charm with her ponytail. It was... what's the word? Mesmerizing to look at Yuri. The long ponytail gave her a more... ''adult'' appearance. I kept staring at her that I failed to notice that she is staring back at me with a huge red streak across her face.

" Y-Yoku... Is... Is there something wrong?" She asked nervously.

" Huh? Oh! Sorry! Nope! None at all! I was just... captivated by how a ponytail could completely alter one's appearance." I replied to her in a warm tone.

" Ah... Y-Yes... I don't... usually tie my hair into a ponytail... But... I... ah... glad you like it!" She smiled at me warmly.

" Ahaha, anyways, sorry for maki-"

" WAAAAAHHH!!!"

Suddenly, Sayori came tumbling out of the alleyway we came from. She nearly lost her balance and had a nasty fall if it wasn't for my catch. I managed to catch her body in my arms and pulling her closer to prevent her from tripping over. Yuri and I were both surprised to see the little cinnamon bun dashing out of the maze we camecame from. I decided to let go of her, but she wouldn't do the same. She decided to hug me a little while longer before letting go.

" Ehehe... Nice catch." Sayori gave me a thumbs up and a wide, cheerful smile.

" Were... W-Were you following us?!" Yuri asked with a nervous voice.

" No point in lying now, huh Yoku? Yes! I was following you." Sayori answered confidently.

" Why?!" Yuri asked her with an irritated tone.

" Because Yoku is going shopping. And if Yoku is shopping, that means he has money. And if Yoku hashas money, he can treat me to food!" I knew this was an excuse, but I did my best to play along to fool Yuri.

" Sayori! You know it's rude to show up uninvited. Besides, I'm going to use my money for our food!" I said to Sayori.

" Welp, I'm already here. Let's go~! Ahaha!" Sayori let's go of her embrace and runs to the direction of the cafe. I let out a sigh and looked at Yuri.

" Is it alright if she comes along?" I ask.

"... Sure... It's not bad to have some more company with us, right?" Yuri said with a hint of disappointment.

As Yuri walked forward, I looked back towards the alley. I could see Monika's and Natsuki's heads peeking out. I gave them a wave before I continued walking. Damn it Sayori... It's too dangerous when Yuri feels like someone is stealing me away from her. You better stay safe or I won't give you dinner tonight!